News Release
NPS Photo / Sierra Willoughby
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Contact: Sierra Willoughby, 760-252-6124
KELSO, Calif. – The Mojave National Preserve is requesting public input on the Kelso-Cima and South Kelbaker Roads Rehabilitation project.The National Park Service is proposing to rehabilitate Kelso Cima Road and South Kelbaker Road in the Preserve. Rehabilitation of the roads will include demolition and removal of the existing asphalt road surface, installation of new stable road base, and reapplication of the asphalt road surface. Additionally, the NPS will construct fencing to facilitate safe passage and reduce population decline of the desert tortoise, a federally threatened species. The NPS will host a virtual meeting on Jan. 11, 2024, at 3 P.M. Pacific Standard Time (PST) on Microsoft Teams. During the meeting, NPS staff will explain the planning process, showcase methods for public comment, and answer participants’ questions. More information about the meeting, including an information newsletter, can be found on the project website at: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/MOJA_KelsoCima.
Initial public comments on the project will be accepted from Jan. 11 to Feb. 10, 2024. Written comments may be submitted by visiting https://parkplanning.nps.gov/MOJA_KelsoCima, selecting “Open for Comment” on the left menu bar, and selecting “Newsletter.” Written comments postmarked by Feb. 10, 2024 may also be submitted by mail to:
National Park Service
Mojave National Preserve
Attn: Superintendent
2701 Barstow Road
Barstow, California 92311
Additional opportunities for commenting and public engagement will be offered throughout the project.
About the Kelso-Cima and S. Kelbaker Roads Rehabilitation Project at Mojave National Preserve
Mojave National Preserve is a 1.6-million-acre unit of the National Park Service that was established by Congress on October 31, 1994, via the California Desert Protection Act . The Preserve is a vast expanse of desert lands that represents a combination of Great Basin, Sonoran, and Mojave Desert ecosystems. This combination allows a visitor to experience a wide variety of desert plant life in combinations that exist nowhere else in the United States in such proximity.
Mojave National Preserve protects a mosaic of ecological communities and functions, and evidence of a 10,000-year history of human connection with the desert. By offering extensive opportunities to experience a wide variety of landscapes, the Preserve promotes understanding and appreciation for the increasingly threatened resources of the Mojave Desert, and encourages a sense of discovery and connection to wild places. Located in southern California, the Preserve contains several diverse mountain ranges, the Kelso dune system, dry lake beds, and abundant evidence of geologically recent volcanic activity (domes, lava flows, and cinder cones). Plant and animal life complement the geological features - the Preserve contains some of the finest Joshua tree forests in the world. Of the Preserve’s 1.6 million acres, about 700,000 acres are designated wilderness. In addition, about half is designated as critical habitat for the federally listed threatened desert tortoise.
Due to the decline of the existing roadway conditions along Kelso-Cima Road and South Kelbaker Road, as well as the increase in desert tortoise mortality, the NPS has initiated planning efforts to address these roadway improvements and resource concerns. The NPS is proposing preliminary options to address safety issues exhibited along Kelso-Cima Road and South Kelbaker Road, reduce desert tortoise mortality rates, and protect natural resources at the Preserve. This planning process includes preparing an Environmental Assessment that will analyze all potential impacts in the project, consistent with requirements outlined in the National Environmental Policy Act.
-NPS
Last updated: January 4, 2024